Engagements
SAINFORKNER
Jim and Anne Sain of Lubbock announce the engagement of their daughter, Lana Marie, to Kenneth James Forkner, son of Terry and Sheila Forkner of Lubbock.

Engagements
HERNANDEZARREDONDO
Iris Hernandez and Jason Arredondo, both of Lubbock, announce their engagement. The couple will marry Sept. 27 in Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church.

Q AND A
Q: My husband is retiring in a few days, which means he loses his life insurance through his employer. We've been advised to take the maximum amount for his retirement, which only lasts as long as he survives, rather than take the lower amount which would pass on to me, and then use the extra pension to pay for life insurance on him. What type of life insurance do I need to buy?

business today
Airlines join Delta's move to cut fares United, Northwest, Continental and US Airways all matched Delta's lowered prices in markets where the airlines compete, spokesmen for the carriers said.

Profit-takers curb advances in stock market
NEW YORK (AP)  Stocks jumped as U.S.-led troops swept into Baghdad and seized a presidential palace Monday, giving investors hope for a swift end to the war. But a burst of late-day profit-taking left stocks just modestly higher.
Analysts said the developments prompted some investor bets that a victory would come in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Q AND A
Q: I'm 60 years old. The company I worked at for 25 years closed last year. There is no chance of being called back. I am several thousand dollars in debt with two credit cards. Do you think the credit card company would be willing to accept 50 cents on a dollar for a full payoff?

Fed prepares to retool emergency rescue of economy
WASHINGTON (AP)  Con fronting new fears of recession, the Federal Reserve is refining an emergency economic rescue plan that in cludes further interest rate cuts and billions of dollars in extra cash for the banking system.

Pension plan bill to keep postage rates in check
WASHINGTON (AP)  Americans will get a three-year reprieve from higher postal rates under legislation that allows the Postal Service to save billions of dollars that would have otherwise gone into pension payments.

Automakers looking to cut costs
DETROIT (AP)  Ford Motor Co. is intensifying efforts to slash its $30 billion budget for costs not directly related to vehicles, and General Motors Corp. is digging deeper to reduce expenses as the world's two largest automakers adjust to sluggish sales and rising competition.

DOE expects gasoline prices to drop sharply in summer
WASHINGTON (AP)  After falling nearly a dime in three weeks, gasoline prices are expected to keep sliding to a national average of $1.56 a gallon this summer thanks to lower oil prices and optimism about the war in Iraq, the government says.

American will seek bankruptcy if workers reject deal
DALLAS (AP)  Labor leaders at American Airlines warn that workers could reject concessions designed to save the world's largest carrier from bankruptcy, but the company has declined to renegotiate the deals.

Raiders need inexperienced DTs to develop in a hurry
All three have a specific objective to work on. Fred Thrweatt needs to shed another 20 pounds and do a better job of keeping his ample frame lower to the ground. Ken Scott wants to improve his upper-body strength, and Chris Hudler thinks he needs to be more explosive.

Taurasi, Huskies down Lady Vols to cap season
ATLANTA (AP)  Diana Taurasi tormented Tennessee yet again, and Connecticut proved it could rebuild  and still repeat.
Leading a young team that had four new starters, Taurasi ignored the sore back and ankle that have bothered her for several weeks and carried Connecticut to a 73-68 victory over Tennessee on Tuesday night for its second straight national championship.

Rodriguez set to transfer from Tech
Jon Rodriguez, who was a key component of the Texas Tech offensive line last season with the ability to play both guard positions, said Tuesday he's planning to transfer.

Tech hopes win yields confidence
Scooter Jordan trotted around the bases sporting one of the biggest smiles seen by any Texas Tech baseball player in quite some time.

Syracuse takes crown
NEW ORLEANS (AP)  The Syracuse Orangemen were playground players early, a bundle of nerves late. They juked, jammed and barely held on for a victory that gave coach Jim Boeheim his long-awaited championship.
Freshmen Carmelo Anthony and Gerry McNamara did the scoring and Hakim Warrick came up with a huge block at the end Monday night to lift the Orange to a thrilling 81-78 victory over Kansas.

Raiders punish ENMU
The Texas Tech baseball team showed flashes Tuesday night of the form that led to its quick start early in the season. Now, the question is can the Red Raiders build on it come Friday.

TEXAS TECH FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK
New Texas Tech assistant football coach Charlie Sadler had a difficult enough task this spring because he was hired only a month ago. Making it worse, some of the key personnel he needs to evaluate have been battling injuries.

Drive-In Return
AMONG THE North Lubbock development that is planned or under way is a business that was thought to be all but extinct  a drive-in movie.

Space Hero
WELCOME BACK TO Lubbock, Dr. Bernard A. Harris Jr. The former astronaut and Texas Tech Board of Regent is also a graduate of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine.

TAKS Test
TAAS IS OUT. TAKS is the new testing challenge to Texas schoolchildren.

Public Servants
WE HAVE LONG appreciated the hard work and sacrifices that are made by emergency personnel to serve to public. And we appreciate efforts that are made to give members of those professions the public recognition that they deserve.

TAKS Test
TAAS IS OUT. TAKS is the new testing challenge to Texas schoolchildren.

LISD board to hear magnet school report
Lubbock Independent School District board will receive a report about projected magnet school enrollment for next school year during a Thursday morning meeting.

Early outburst lifts Frenship
WOLFFORTH  Opportu-nities to score figured to be few and far between Tuesday when Estacado and Frenship locked horns in District 4-4A baseball action.
With Chris Holguin on the mound for the Matadors and Kris Kelley manning the hump for the Tigers, home plate didn't figure to be an exceptionally busy place.

Early outburst lifts Frenship
WOLFFORTH  Opportu-nities to score figured to be few and far between Tuesday when Estacado and Frenship locked horns in District 4-4A baseball action.
With Chris Holguin on the mound for the Matadors and Kris Kelley manning the hump for the Tigers, home plate didn't figure to be an exceptionally busy place.

Frenship freshman takes individual crown
Not even an inch long gash on his forehead could slow down Landon Waters on Monday.
Armed with a pretty sizable lead and a home-course advantage, the Frenship freshman shot a final round 74 to capture the District 4-4A individual golf championship on a breezy afternoon at Elm Grove Golf Course.

Hispanic Nominee To Court
Re: The letter "Opinion Page Biased" (A-J, 3-27), concerning a syndicated column by Joseph Perkins and an editorial cartoon on the stalled appointment of Miguel Estrada, President Bush's nominee for a vacancy on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, widely considered the second-highest court in the land (A-J, 3-10).

War Nasty, Brutal Business
The capture by the Iraqis of the military mother of a 2-year-old will surely revive the question of American women in combat ... as well it should.

'A Just And Moral War'
The actual "PNR" (point of no return) was reached after the "butcher of Baghdad" violated cease fire agreements, defied U.N. resolutions, slaughtered his own citizens, and threatened the world with weapons of mass destruction. The "PNR" would have come eight years ago, if the man who occupied the presidency had not been more interested in his libido than our country's welfare.

War Nasty, Brutal Business
The capture by the Iraqis of the military mother of a 2-year-old will surely revive the question of American women in combat ... as well it should.

Look At White Crosses
To me, it seems like when a country needs help, they all have to go through the United States of America. We usually lead with the coalition of all nations to work things out.

Books give advice about talking to pets
No one likes the silent treatment  and that goes for pets, too, says Jean Craighead George, a naturalist and author of the new children's books "How to Talk to Your Dog" and "How to Talk to Your Cat" (HarperTrophy) offers these tips to get human-animal conversations started and how to read your cat's or dog's mood:

Local celebrities
In just 20 years, poaching and the Ebola virus have cut in half the ape population of western equatorial Africa, long considered the last stronghold of the continent's gorillas and chimpanzees, according to a new study.

Family entertaining
pringtime celebrations have a special flavor that other festive occasions lack. While the winter holidays are cozy by the hearth, and autumn briskness gives Thanksgiving a special tang, the events of spring  Easter, Mother's Day, graduation or a special occasion such as a bridal shower  have a freshness and gaiety that is as much the result of the return of sun and warmth as the occasion being celebrated.

Ham it up during buffet, sit-down dinner or when eating leftovers
Buffets are a popular way to serve many people. Spiral-sliced ham is an excellent solution for buffets where guests serve themselves. Since the meat is presliced, it falls away from the bone easily so there's no struggling with it while juggling a full plate.

Lifestyles Calendar
Events
Send information to Lifestyles Calendar, P.O. Box 491, Lubbock, TX 79408 at least a week in advance. Please include a phone number to be published.

Community Briefs
Announcement deadlines vary
Engagement announcements are published Tuesdays through Saturdays as space permits. They must be submitted at least a month before the wedding. They may include a photo of the couple.

For the troops
Send information to For the Troops Calendar, Lifestyles, The Avalanche-Journal, P.O. Box 491, Lubbock, TX 79408 at least a week in advance. Information also may be faxed to 744-9603 or e-mailed to lifeclerk@lubbockonline.com.

Family entertaining
pringtime celebrations have a special flavor that other festive occasions lack. While the winter holidays are cozy by the hearth, and autumn briskness gives Thanksgiving a special tang, the events of spring  Easter, Mother's Day, graduation or a special occasion such as a bridal shower  have a freshness and gaiety that is as much the result of the return of sun and warmth as the occasion being celebrated.

American Eagle set to cut flight schedule in Lubbock
American Eagle informed Lubbock International Airport on Tuesday that it will cut three flights starting May 2 and intends to totally revamp its daily schedule.
The commuter shuttle owned by Fort Worth-based American Air lines said it will remove its remaining prop plane from service, leaving the local market with less frequent regional jet flights.

Local man busted for explosives
John Richard Cabrera of Lubbock made an initial appearance Monday in federal court on charges of possessing explosive devices at his home, where state agents had converged last week to look for evidence of illegal alcohol sales.
Cabrera, 41, faces one count of illegal possession of a destructive device. He is being held without bond pending his detention hearing Wednesday, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

American Eagle set to cut flight schedule in Lubbock
American Eagle informed Lubbock International Airport on Tuesday that it will cut three flights starting May 2 and intends to totally revamp its daily schedule.
The commuter shuttle owned by Fort Worth-based American Air lines said it will remove its remaining prop plane from service, leaving the local market with less frequent regional jet flights.

Gilbreath wins race by default
Lubbock businessman Jim Gilbreath will become the new District 6 city councilman in early May after emerging from the candidate filing period unopposed.

'No' vote won't stop halfway house drive
Despite last week's setback at the Planning and Zoning Commission, Rodney Plunket and others are determined to establish a private, faith-based halfway house for parolees in Lubbock.

Accounting error at LIA hits city fund
An accounting error at Lubbock International Airport will cost the city's general fund $735,828, becoming the latest accounting mishap at City Hall and further straining funds in an already tight city budget.

Gunman kills student, wounds another
NATCHITOCHES, La. (AP)  A gunman opened fire in a classroom at a Louisiana trade school on Monday, killing one student and wounding another, police said

Court order may delay states' checks from tobacco company
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP)  State leaders from Vermont to California, hooked on annual payments from their landmark settlement with the tobacco industry, are worried a multibillion-dollar court order against Philip Morris might keep them from getting their next check.

Two Pakistani suspects released on bail
DENVER (AP)  Two Pakistani men charged with immigration violations but also suspected by the FBI of having ties to terrorist groups were ordered released on bail Tuesday.

Court backs punishment in cross burnings
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can punish Ku Klux Klansmen and others who set crosses afire, finding that a burning cross is an instrument of racial terror so threatening that it overshadows free speech concerns.
The court voted 6-3 to uphold a 50-year-old Virginia law making it a crime to burn a cross as an act of intimidation. A lower court had ruled the law muzzled free speech.

Two Pakistani suspects released on bail
DENVER (AP)  Two Pakistani men charged with immigration violations but also suspected by the FBI of having ties to terrorist groups were ordered released on bail Tuesday.

Three teens accused of killing retarded Connecticut man
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)  A 39-year-old retarded man who liked to dress up like Batman and tell neighbors he was a crime-fighter was beaten to death in the lobby of an apartment building where he had been placed by state officials.

Ed Surface
WACO -Edward "Ed" B. Surface, age 79, passed away April 5, 2003, at his residence. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Robinson Cemetery with Rev. David Story of the Richfield Christian Church officiating.

Micah Gabriel Meyer
BROWNFIELD -Graveside services for Micah Gabriel Meyer, 8, will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Terry County Memorial Cemetery with the
Rev. Douglas Puryear officiating. Interment is under the direction of Brownfield Funeral Home. He died Monday, April 7, 2003, in Brownfield.

Delbert M. Williams
DUMAS -Delbert M.Williams, 82, passed away on April 5, 2003. Memorial services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 8, at the First United Methodist Church in Dumas with Rev. John Wagoner, Pastor, officiating.

Death Notices
Francisco P. "Poncho" Castro, 78, of Abernathy died Monday, March 31, 2003. Services were Friday, April 4, at Shepherd's Temple Church in Gladewater, Texas. Dearion & Davis Funeral Parlor of Gladewater.
Bonifacio "El Apache" Gallegos Jr., 53, of Lubbock died Sunday April 6, 2003. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Calvillo Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Calvillo Funeral Home of Lubbock.

Raymond T. Marquis
ABERNATHY -Services for Raymond T. Marquis, 95, will be held a t 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, 2003, in the First Baptist Church with Rev. S.W. Keeton officiating. Burial will follow in the Abernathy Cemetery under the direction of Abell Funeral Home of Abernathy.

Bonifacio Gallegos Jr.
Rosary for Bonifacio "El Apache" Gallegos Jr., 53, of Lubbock will be Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Calvillo Fu- neral Home Chapel. Mass will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick Cath- olic Church in Lubbock, with the Father Cornelio Ramirez officiating.

Buford Emler
DENTON-Buford Emler, a seven-year resident of Denton, passed away on Sunday, April 6, 2003, at the age of 82. He was born in Carol, Okla., on Oct. 21,1920, to Jewel J. and Gracie Emler.

Death Notices
Francisco P. "Poncho" Castro, 78, of Abernathy died Monday, March 31, 2003. Services were Friday, April 4, at Shepherd's Temple Church in Gladewater, Texas. Dearion & Davis Funeral Parlor of Gladewater.
Bonifacio "El Apache" Gallegos Jr., 53, of Lubbock died Sunday April 6, 2003. Rosary will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Calvillo Funeral Home Chapel. Mass will be at 10 a.m. Thursday at St. Patrick Catholic Church. Calvillo Funeral Home of Lubbock.

Alana Natasha Willis
Services for Alana Natasha Willis, 25, of Hinesville, Ga., will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Iglesia de Cristo with the Rev. Alfonso Villa officiating and the Rev. Kiko Quintana assisting. Arrangements are under the direction of Guajardo Funeral Chapels. She died March 31, 2003, in Savannah, Ga. She was born Dec. 17, 1977, in Lubbock.

J.C. Corley Bowers
Services for J.C. Corley Bowers, 88, of Lubbock will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, April 10, 2003, in the Milwaukee Church of Christ. Officiating will be Ira Lynn and Nat Fritz. Interment will be in the City of Lubbock Cemetery under the direction of Sanders Funeral Home.

Verda Mae Todd
Graveside services and burial for Verda Mae Todd, 81, of Lubbock will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2003 in the Jayton Cemetery, Jayton, Texas. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. in Lubbock at Neil Chapel on the Carillon Campus, 1717 Norfolk Avenue. A reception will follow in Carillon's Caprock Room. Services are under the direction of Rix Funeral Directors. She died Sunday, April 6, 2003. Verda Mae Fuller was born September 10, 1921, in Jayton and graduated from Jayton High School. In 1942 she received a bachelor's degree from Texas Tech University.

Bob Hammack
SNYDER -Funeral services for Bob Hammack, 78, will be at 3 p.m. Wednesday at the First Baptist Church in Snyder, with Rev. Miller Robinson and Rev. Ferris Akins officiating. Interment will follow at Hillside Memorial Gardens. Mr. Hammack passed away Monday at 2:40 p.m. at Covenant Lakeside Hospital after a lengthy illness.

Jacqueline Sue Burroughs Murff
AMARILLO-Jackie Murff went to be with her angels on Sunday, April 6,
2003. Services will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 9, at First United Methodist Church, 119 North Briscoe, Tulia. Interment will follow at Rose Hill Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral
Directors, 2820 Virginia Circle, in Amarillo. She was our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law. Jackie was born to Shirley Eliza and Francis Marion "Frank" Burroughs in Monahans, Texas, on January 24,1936. She met her future husband Sam in June of 1951, at the age of 15 at MYF at the Oak Park Methodist Church in Corpus Christi. Jackie had come to church with the preacher's son and Sam informed him that he was taking Jackie home.

Death Notices
Joe Dale Ballard, 47, of Ironton, Minn., formerly of Crosbyton, Texas, died Wednesday, April 2, 2003. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 8, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Crosby, Minn. Koop Funeral Home of Crosby, Minn.
Fern Davis, 92, died Sunday, April 6, 2003. Graveside services will be at the 10 a.m. Tuesday at the City of Lubbock Cemetery, followed by memorial services at 11 a.m. in Ford Chapel of First Baptist Church. Rix Funeral Directors. Memorials are suggested to the First Baptist Foundation, Lubbock.

Juan Manuel Lozano
LUBBOCK-Services for Juan Manuel Lozano, 56, of Lubbock will be at noon Wednesday, April 9, 2003, at Pathway Assembly of God in Lubbock with Dr. Lauro C. Hernandez officiating. Burial will follow in Peaceful Gardens Memorial Park under the direction of White Funeral Home of Lubbock. He was born Sept. 10, 1946, in Corpus Christi to Alfonso Lozano and Amparo Flores Lozano. He moved to Lubbock from Corpus Christi in 1994. He was a construction worker.

Susan O'Neal
MINERAL WELLS - Susan O'Neal, 60, a homemaker, passed away
Monday, April 7, 2003, after a courageous battle with pulmonary fibrosis. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at the First United Methodist Church. Burial will be in the Woodland Park Cemetery.

Francisco P. Castro
Poncho ABERNATHY -Services for Mr. Castro, 78, were held at 10 a.m. Friday, April 4, at the Shepherd's Temple Church in Gladewater, Texas. Burial was held in the Gladewater Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Dearion & Davis Funeral Parlor. The life of Francisco P.
Castro began in Kansas City, Kan., on December 15, 1927.

Police Blotter
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these or other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Police Blotter
Blotter information is compiled from reports filed with the Lubbock Police Department. To report information about these or other crimes, call Crime Line at 741-1000. In some cases, cash rewards are offered. Callers may remain anonymous.
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Correction for police blotter 3/7
Sunday's police blotter contained incorrect information about a hit-and-run crash early Saturday. A U.S. Marine was not in the car when it hit a tree and the occupants fled, according to police reports. Marine officials reported the car stolen later Saturday.
The A-J regrets the error.

NL ROUNDUP
HOUSTON  Jason LaRue hit his first home run of the year in the 10th inning Tuesday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds over the Houston Astros 2-1.

Former champs keep away from Augusta
Augusta National scrapped its policy banning former champions from playing in the Masters after they turn 65. That wasn't enough to lure back Gay Brewer, Billy Casper or Doug Ford.
They weren't on the list of tee times released Tuesday.

AL ROUNDUP
ARLINGTON  Barry Zito struck out seven and allowed just one run over seven innings for his 10th straight victory, leading the Oakland Athletics over the Texas Rangers 2-1 Tuesday night.

Consecutive homers power Braves in win
ATLANTA  Gary Sheffield, Chipper Jones and Andruw Jones hit consecutive home runs in the sixth inning Monday, leading the Atlanta Braves over the Florida Marlins 3-0.

Former champs keep away from Augusta
Augusta National scrapped its policy banning former champions from playing in the Masters after they turn 65. That wasn't enough to lure back Gay Brewer, Billy Casper or Doug Ford.
They weren't on the list of tee times released Tuesday.

NL ROUNDUP
HOUSTON  Jason LaRue hit his first home run of the year in the 10th inning Tuesday night, leading the Cincinnati Reds over the Houston Astros 2-1.

Third-grader killed in motorcycle wreck
WELLMAN  This tightly knit farming community was plunged into mourning Tuesday following the death of a third-grader Monday night.
Eight-year-old Micah Gabriel Meyer died after the motorcycle he was driving collided with a pickup in rural Terry County.

Third-grader killed in motorcycle wreck
WELLMAN  This tightly knit farming community was plunged into mourning Tuesday following the death of a third-grader Monday night.
Eight-year-old Micah Gabriel Meyer died after the motorcycle he was driving collided with a pickup in rural Terry County.

16 people held in Panhandle meth ring bust
AMARILLO (AP)  Sixteen people accused of smuggling and distributing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine out of the Amarillo area were in federal custody Tuesday, on charges alleging they brought the drug into Los Angeles from Mexico and shipped it to other areas of the country, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Wolfforth mechanic dies in cycle crash
Richard Dworaczyk, 35, a mechanic from Wolfforth, died just after 2:30 a.m. Monday from injuries suffered in a motorcycle wreck.
He was traveling northbound in the 4600 block of West Loop 289 along the frontage road when his cycle struck a curb, police Cpl. Terry Boyer said. Dworaczyk flew off the cycle and struck a tree.

Lawmakers approve clean air tax on diesel fuel
AUSTIN (AP)  A bill that would levy a tax of 3 cents a gallon on diesel fuel and could help bring Texas into federal clean-air compliance was preliminarily approved Monday by lawmakers hoping to avoid losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal highway funding.

Reduced state budget moves from Appropriations Committee to Texas House
AUSTIN (AP)  A downsized $58.6 billion state budget bill that includes cuts from education to health care was passed 19-2 early Monday by the House Appropriations Commi tee, setting the stage for what many predict will be a brutal floor debate by the entire chamber.
Lengthy debate by the full House on the two-year spending plan is expected to begin next week.

MARIJUANA BUST
EL PASO (AP)  Customs and Border Protection inspectors found nearly $3.5 million worth of marijuana hidden inside 348 buckets of liquid tar on Monday as the vehicle transporting the load tried to enter the United States. After inspectors at the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso removed a tar-filled bucket and X-rayed it, they found suspicious bundles inside.

Search for shuttle debris may conclude this week
LUFKIN (AP)  Dive teams searching the Toledo Bend Reservoir and Lake Nacog doches for material from the space shuttle Columbia could stop as early as this week, the Federal Emergency Manage ment Agency said Monday.

Senate gives preliminary OK to moment of silence bill
AUSTIN (AP)  Public school students would be required to observe a minute of silence each day to pray, meditate or reflect after reciting both the U.S. and Texas pledges of allegiance under legislation given preliminary approval in the Senate Tuesday.

University of Texas coughs up $5 million for Watergate notes
AUSTIN (AP)  The Univer sity of Texas at Austin an nounced Monday it is paying $5 million for the Watergate papers of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, whose investigation led to the downfall of the Nixon administration.

Two Tech VPs heading to OSU
Two Texas Tech administrators are joining former Tech President David Schmidly at Oklahoma State University and moving to similar positions.

Live oak calls attention to drunken driving deaths
Two-year-old Tatiana Burkman toddled up to the slim live oak surrounded by colorful flowers. She squatted on her chubby legs to get a better look at the newly planted pink cocktail vodkas, purple lavias and white new carpet blooms.

Family loses car to wreck, wins new pickup
Between barrel racing and bull riding April 5 at the ABC Rodeo, the raffle winner was announced: Ramon Montelongo Jr., 20, and his wife, Erica Perez, were the proud owner of a 2003 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab flame red truck.

U.S. levels attack on Saddam
An American bomber struck a residential complex in Baghdad on Monday after U.S. intelligence received information that Saddam Hussein, his sons and other top Iraqi leaders might be meeting there, U.S. officials said.
There was no immediate word on who might have been killed, but U.S. officials said they had evidence the target had been destroyed.

Iraqis dig through remains of bombed building searching for loved ones
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)  A young woman's severed head and torso and a small boy's body were pulled Tuesday from a smoking crater carved into the earth by four U.S. bombs, so powerful they yanked orange trees from their roots. But there was no sign of the man those bombs were aimed at: Saddam Hussein.

War: Sleeping in the Palace of Saddam
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)  The U.S. Army took the war to Saddam Hussein on Monday  to the heart of his capital city, to the dusty remains of his opulent palace, to his hot tubs and barbecue pit.

Marines' Death an Accident
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) The deaths of two Marines who drowned while crossing a canal in southeast Iraq were ruled accidental, a military official said Monday.

U.S. flexes muscle in Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)  U.S. forces battled the tattered remnants of Iraq's army for control of downtown Baghdad on Tuesday, crushing a counterattack and seizing a military airport. Saddam Hussein's fate was unknown after an attempt to kill him from the air.
Inside the capital to stay, some Army units routed Iraqi fighters from a Republican Guard headquarters. Oth ers discovered a 12-room complex in side a cave, complete with white marble floors, 10-foot ceilings and fluorescent lighting.

U.S. flexes muscle in Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP)  U.S. forces battled the tattered remnants of Iraq's army for control of downtown Baghdad on Tuesday, crushing a counterattack and seizing a military airport. Saddam Hussein's fate was unknown after an attempt to kill him from the air.
Inside the capital to stay, some Army units routed Iraqi fighters from a Republican Guard headquarters. Oth ers discovered a 12-room complex in side a cave, complete with white marble floors, 10-foot ceilings and fluorescent lighting.